Push & Gravity

6

"You go with Natalia and try to find out who it is he's meeting with," Sofía instructed as she gathered her things to go investigate the warehouse with Raúl, "then follow that person if possible."

'Yeah, because that worked last time,' Javier wanted to say, but he held his tongue because things were, arguably, different this time. For one, they had more of a lead than they had back then, and two, they weren't going directly after the suspect but targeting those he associated with. It was a more roundabout way, but safer, and if everything turned out alright, this might be the last time they had to follow anyone.

Javier wondered if there would actually come a day where they could live regular lives without there being some investigation or someone trying to harm them.

He'd been involved in not one but two deaths by now. He guessed a regular life was just not in the cards for him anymore.

Next to him, Natalia grabbed her bag, told him she'd change at her house and meet him at the location later, and left without another word.

That was also different.

Not that Javier minded. It was better this way.

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Natalia showed up in black pants and a dark red blouse. She'd taken to this kind of clothes whenever they had to do something related to the case, preferring flats over high heels, dark colors over her usual pastel ones. She still dressed like that at school, and Javier wondered if she found it as reassuring as he did, that at least some things hadn't changed.

"You ready?"

Natalia let out a breath and nodded. "Ready."

Localizing their target wasn't very hard. They knew he frequented this establishment most nights and walked out at around this hour. Of course, finding that out had been the hard part, but now all that was left to do was use that information to their advantage.

With their target on the move down a small side street, Javier and Natalia waited on their position for a moment and then they were following, blending in with dark corners and alleys untouched by the moonlight.

They kept their distance, trying to make as less noise as possible as they walked while simultaneously attempting to look normal. Casual.

Nothing about this was casual though. Even as he tried to stay calm, a thousand things kept spiraling around Javier's head.

Was if this guy was armed? What if they were walking into a trap? What if they were caught? What if he realized he was being followed and he never went to that establishment again? It would take them who knows how long to find another opportunity like this.

They couldn't let that happen. The problem was, their target kept pausing at random intervals, pretending to check his phone or something to throw discreet glances behind his back.

"Shit, he's suspicious," Javier cursed under his breath. Of course he would be on high alert if he was doing what they thought he was doing. Which, considering it was Sofi's theory, had a 95% chance of being so.

What now? Should they just stop and try some other night? But nothing assured them that he'd meet up with his contact again soon, and even if it happened, he could be even more on guard then.

Javier kept exchanging glances with Natalia, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing.

They had just turned a corner when Natalia halted, pressing him to the brick wall with hands on his chest.

"Play along," she said quickly.

One tug on the front of his t-shirt and she was kissing him.

Her hands cupped his neck and threaded his hair. It took Javier three seconds to think anything beyond the feeling of her lips on his and realize what the plan was. Right—They were on a relatively secluded alley, at night, with many bars and restaurants close by. No one would look twice at a couple making out.

Now with that in mind, Javier brought his hands to her waist and flipped their positions, pressing her against the wall and closing the gap between their bodies. A little sound of surprise came out of Natalia, but she didn't cease her movements, mimicking passion.

It was a good tactic. Except that it felt too good.

Javier didn't want to like it. He wanted to hold firmly onto his grudge with both hands, use those same ones to squish and smother what he felt for her until it was nothing but indifference. But here he was, with his heart beating a fastening tempo against his sternum, with heat blooming from each spot their bodies touched like vines, and his lips sliding against hers in a way too exquisite, too eager to be just acting.

He didn't know who opened their mouth first, but the molten noise Natalia made when their tongues met sent a thrill of heat down his back. Suddenly, they weren't in the alley at all. It was like they were back at Rosita's party, slightly drunk but more inebriated by the kisses they never expected but were very nice. Or at his house, that night, when he'd never been happier that his mom takes sleeping pills.

The noises she made that night, the noises they'd made— They were engraved deeply in his memory.

He parted from her lips and went to leave kisses on her neck. Natalia turned her head to her right, leaving more skin open for the explorations of his mouth.

"He's moving," she breathed.

Javier's heart stopped, momentarily frozen in dread and shame.

He forgot.

He leaned his forehead on Natalia's shoulder, fighting through the daze of hormones to refocus on what they were there to do. Come on, don't be an idiot, this is important.

Javier opened his eyes and looked to his left. Their target had moved between two garbage containers and was now talking to a guy in a leather jacket, his hair hid under a black beanie.

"Think that's his contact?" He asked lowly, face tucked on Natalia's neck to hide his talking.

He felt the bob of her throat as she swallowed. "Has to be."

The exchange between the two guys continued for another minute. Javier and Natalia stayed in place, waiting, just breathing, Natalia's hands occasionally moving down his back and hair to act like something was happening. Javier tried to ignore it, just like her breath close to his ear and the sweet smell of her perfume.

Finally, their target and his contact parted ways, going in opposite directions. They waited until his target had turned the corner to separate from each other, and then they followed the beanie guy.

Javier got the feeling that the night air was cold, which was weird because it hadn't felt cold until now.

He knew why it was but chose not to acknowledge it, just as he chose to ignore her hand in his as they kept tailing the guy. It was necessary to keep appearances, nothing more.

Nothing more. 

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..

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